pmg/README.md

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    <h1>Package Manager Guard (PMG)</h1>
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  <img src="./docs/demo/pmg-intro.gif" width="800" alt="pmg in action">
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## Why PMG?

Developers and AI coding agents install packages every day. Each `npm install` or `pip install` executes thousands of lines of code that nobody reviews.

Malicious packages ship constantly in popular ecosystems:

- [**litellm 1.82.8**](https://safedep.io/malicious-litellm-1-82-8-analysis/) - a popular AI proxy library compromised to exfiltrate credentials
- [**telnyx 4.87.2**](https://safedep.io/malicious-telnyx-pypi-compromise/) - a legitimate telecom SDK hijacked on PyPI
- [**pino-sdk-v2**](https://safedep.io/malicious-npm-package-pino-sdk-v2-env-exfiltration/) - a typosquat package disguised as the popular pino logger

PMG intercepts every package install and checks it for malware **before** code executes. Install it once, and every `npm install`, `pip install`, and `poetry add` is protected automatically.

> Featured in [tl;dr sec](https://tldrsec.com/p/tldr-sec-316) and used by engineering teams worldwide.

## How PMG Works

- **Transparent Protection** - PMG wraps `npm`, `pip`, and other package managers to transparently apply protection. Developers and AI agents use their tools as usual with no workflow changes.
- **Malicious Package Protection** - Every intercepted package is analyzed against [SafeDep's real-time threat intelligence](https://safedep.io) before installation. Malicious packages are blocked before code executes on the system.
- **Sandboxed Installation** - Package installation runs inside OS-native sandboxes (macOS Seatbelt, Linux Bubblewrap), preventing install scripts from modifying the system even if a threat evades detection.
- **Audit Logging** - Every package installation event is logged, providing a verifiable trail of what was installed, when, and from where.

## Quick Start

Get protected in seconds.

### 1. Install

**MacOS / Linux (Install Script)**

```bash
curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/safedep/pmg/main/install.sh | sh
```

**MacOS / Linux (Homebrew)**

```bash
brew install safedep/tap/pmg
```

**NPM**

```bash
npm install -g @safedep/pmg
```

> **Note:** NPM-based installs can be fragile when Node.js is managed by version managers like [`mise`](https://mise.jdx.dev/) or [`asdf`](https://asdf-vm.com/), since the global `npm` bin path changes with the active Node version. Prefer the install script or Homebrew in those setups.

> See [Installation](#installation) for additional methods.

### 2. Setup

Configure your shell to use PMG automatically.

```bash
pmg setup install
# Restart your terminal to apply changes
```

> **Tip:** Re-run `pmg setup install` after upgrading PMG to pick up new configuration options.

### 3. Use

Use your package managers as usual or let your AI coding agent use them. PMG works silently in the background.

```bash
npm install express
# or
pip install requests
```

Verify PMG is working by installing a test package. This is a harmless package flagged as malicious in the SafeDep database, specifically meant for testing:

```bash
npm --prefer-online --no-cache i safedep-test-pkg@0.1.3
```

<details>
<summary>Expected output</summary>

```
✗ Malicious package blocked

  - safedep-test-pkg@0.1.3
    Reference: https://app.safedep.io/community/malysis/01KF5JYDND9XR94WNEJ2G74KY2

✗ PMG: 1 packages analyzed, 1 blocked
```

</details>

## Features

| Feature                          | Description                                                                                                      |
| -------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **AI Agent Safety Net**          | Protects against malicious packages installed by AI coding agents (Claude Code, Cursor, Copilot, Windsurf).      |
| **Malicious Package Protection** | Real-time protection against malicious packages using [SafeDep](https://docs.safedep.io/cloud/malware-analysis). |
| **Sandboxing**                   | Enforces least privilege using OS native sandboxing to contain installation scripts.                             |
| **Dependency Analysis**          | Deep scans of direct and transitive dependencies before they hit your disk.                                      |
| **Event Logging**                | Keeps a verifiable audit trail of all installed packages.                                                        |
| **Dependency Cooldown**           | Blocks package versions published within a configurable time window, reducing exposure to supply chain attacks.   |
| **Zero Config**                  | Works out of the box with sensible security defaults.                                                            |
| **Cross-Shell**                  | Seamlessly integrates with Zsh, Bash, Fish, and more.                                                            |

## Supported Package Managers

PMG supports the tools you already use:

| Ecosystem   | Tools    | Status | Command Example     |
| ----------- | -------- | ------ | ------------------- |
| **Node.js** | `npm`    | Yes    | `npm install <pkg>` |
|             | `pnpm`   | Yes    | `pnpm add <pkg>`    |
|             | `yarn`   | Yes    | `yarn add <pkg>`    |
|             | `bun`    | Yes    | `bun add <pkg>`     |
|             | `npx`    | Yes    | `npx <pkg>`         |
|             | `pnpx`   | Yes    | `pnpx <pkg>`        |
| **Python**  | `pip`    | Yes    | `pip install <pkg>` |
|             | `poetry` | Yes    | `poetry add <pkg>`  |
|             | `uv`     | Yes    | `uv add <pkg>`      |

## Installation

<details>
<summary><strong>Install Script (MacOS/Linux)</strong></summary>

Downloads the latest release from GitHub, verifies its SHA-256 checksum, and installs to `$HOME/.local/bin` (if on `PATH`) or `/usr/local/bin`.

```bash
curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/safedep/pmg/main/install.sh | sh
```

</details>

<details>
<summary><strong>Homebrew (MacOS/Linux)</strong></summary>

```bash
brew tap safedep/tap
brew install safedep/tap/pmg
```

</details>

<details>
<summary><strong>NPM (Cross-Platform)</strong></summary>

```bash
npm install -g @safedep/pmg
```

> **Note:** NPM-based installs can be fragile when Node.js is managed by version managers like [`mise`](https://mise.jdx.dev/) or [`asdf`](https://asdf-vm.com/). The global `npm` bin path changes with the active Node version, so switching versions can leave `pmg` unavailable on `PATH` (or pointing to an old install). For these setups, prefer the install script or Homebrew.

</details>

<details>
<summary><strong>Go (Build from Source)</strong></summary>

```bash
# Ensure $(go env GOPATH)/bin is in your $PATH
go install github.com/safedep/pmg@latest
```

</details>

<details>
<summary><strong>Binary Download</strong></summary>

Download the latest binary for your platform from the [Releases Page](https://github.com/safedep/pmg/releases).
</details>

## Uninstallation

Remove shell integration:

```bash
pmg setup remove
```

To also remove the PMG configuration file:

```bash
pmg setup remove --config-file
```

Then uninstall PMG itself:

```bash
# Homebrew
brew uninstall safedep/tap/pmg

# NPM
npm uninstall -g @safedep/pmg
```

## Trust and Security

Security is our first class requirement. PMG builds are reproducible and signed.

* **Attestations**: GitHub and npm attestations are used to guarantee artifact integrity.
* **Verification**: Users can cryptographically prove the binary matches the source code.
* See [Trusting PMG](docs/trust.md) for verification steps.

## User Guide

* [Trusted Packages Configuration](docs/trusted-packages.md)
* [Dependency Cooldown](docs/dependency-cooldown.md)
* [Proxy Mode Architecture](docs/proxy-mode.md)
* [Sandboxing Details](docs/sandbox.md)

## Support

If PMG saved you from a bad package, [star this repo](https://github.com/safedep/pmg) — it helps others find it.

## Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please see [CONTRIBUTING.md](CONTRIBUTING.md) for guidelines on how to build and test PMG locally.

## Telemetry

PMG collects anonymous usage data to improve project stability and reliability.
To disable, either:
- Set `disable_telemetry: true` in your PMG config file, or
- Export `PMG_DISABLE_TELEMETRY=true`.